


our brother, our heart

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: 99 (Star Wars) Has a Different Name, Ableism, Alcohol, Background Character Death, Background Relationships, Brotherhood, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Canon Disabled Character, Canonical Character Death, Disability, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, Gen, Gentle bullying, Grief/Mourning, Kinda, Memorials, Minor CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, NOT an1s0ka tho. Gross, Name Changes, Names, No Incest, Past Character Death, Physical Disability, Talking, in a loving brotherly way, or rexs0ka eugh, rex took their names as a show of familial/platonic love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24265348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: Ninety-Nine had a name, once, that only his brothers remember now. He lives on in them.
Relationships: 99 & Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch
Comments: 14
Kudos: 65





	our brother, our heart

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [this tweet](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/622261) by my dumb ass. 



He watched proudly as his brothers progressed through their training. They were seven, eight, nine; soon they would be ten and old enough for deployment. They wouldn't _be_ deployed, of course. They were defective. He knew that. They all did. But they didn't bring it up.

"Hey, Heart," Wrecker said. "Bet I can pick up all four of you at the same time."

Heart rolled his eyes. "We all know you can," he teased.

"Just get over here!"

He couldn't help but laugh and oblige his brother. It was rare that he got to spend time with his own batch. He braced himself against Crosshair and Hunter, Tech pressed against him as Wrecker wrapped his arms around them all and lifted them into the air.

"Hooray, you did it," Crosshair said dryly. "Now put me down."

"You're no fun, Crossy." Wrecker set his brothers on the floor of the barracks anyway and tousled Crosshair's dark hair.

Heart stuck his tongue out as the same was done to him, letting out a small raspberry and bringing his hands up near his chest. The simple display of affection made him smile.

"This is why you're my favorite, Heart," Wrecker muttered, casting a look over at Crosshair, who had perched himself on his bunk, and pulling his shortest brother into a lazy embrace.

"What about us?" Tech complained.

"You and Hunter are okay."

Hunter balked at that. "Rude!"

"Can't help it," Heart said wryly. "I'm just the best."

"Like kriff you are," Tech shot back with a smirk.

Crosshair considered it for a moment. "No, he's got a point."

"Traitor," Hunter muttered, folding his arms across his chest. Crosshair just shrugged in reply, and Hunter gave him a smack on the side of the head as he climbed up into his bunk.

"Look who's rude now," Crosshair drawled.

"Don't make me come back down there and hit you again."

"Aw, don't hit him," Heart teased. "He's built like a bunch of sticks that got taped together."

Crosshair put a hand to his chest and gasped. "Heart!"

"He's got you there," Wrecker agreed, grinning.

* * *

"His name is Heart," Hunter growled at the Kaminoan who came to collect his brother for a routine checkup.

"It's fine." There was a certain resignation in the way he said it. "That's what they call me. I don't mind that much." He manages a smile. "Good luck with Kote's appeal."

Hunter didn't believe it, but nodded anyway.

* * *

"It just doesn't make sense," Hunter complained. "He loved being the heart of our squad. Why go back to being just another _number_ after all those years?"

Tech didn't look up from his datapad. "He's trying to keep himself safe," he said simply. "If he re-learns to respond to it as though it's his name, they'll perceive him as being more complacent and docile. They'll have fewer _legitimate_ reasons to slate him for decommission."

Hunter paused. He knew his brother was right, but that didn't ease the queasy feeling in his stomach.

"He shouldn't have to," Crosshair murmured.

"I know. But it's his choice."

There was a question on the tip of Hunter's lips, but he didn't voice it. They would be light years away from Kamino soon. Their first mission was at hand. They couldn't afford to mess it up.

Ninety-Nine couldn't afford to mess _anything_ up.

* * *

Hunter stares at the ceiling of his quarters, his earplugs in and the light on. He's not trying to sleep; he just needs to think for a bit.

 _We're free men_ , Kote had told him. _The exact details are still being sorted, but we're free. All of us._

CC-2224 had become Cody Kote Kenobi. CT-7567 had become Rex Torrent Skywalker-Tano. CT-5555 had become Fives Ix Domino, and CT-1409 was now Echo Echo Domino. There were others, too; Peanut Butter Sandwich. Hardcase Problem. Wolffe Pack Koon. Bly Secura. Dogma Rules. Tup Perware. The surviving Null ARCs are now Skiratas, though they had been for some time. A handful of his vod'e had even decided to take their progenitor's name and form a new Fett clan out on Concord Dawn.

But nothing sits quite right with Hunter.

They agree to all take the same surname, and Wrecker suggests a number of options; Amidala, if only to confuse people. Badbatch, which Crosshair and Tech immediately shoot down. Havoc and Marauder, which Hunter supposes they could fall back on if they can't find anything else. Maybe they could hyphenate, if it came down to it. But it still doesn't feel right.

Ninety-Nine would know. He was always good with names.

The thought of their fifth batcher has Hunter pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes until he sees stars. With the war over, he's had plenty of time to explore the hole in his chest where his fallen brother had once lived.

How ironic, he thinks spitefully, that he had taken the name Heart.

And then an idea strikes him.

* * *

Wrecker insists on taking cheesy pictures with their new ID cards. He's absurdly proud of it; _Wrecker Heart_ written in raised letters on the little plastoid chit. In one of them, he's fanning all of their cards so their full names are on display. Wrecker Heart, Crosshair Heart, Tech Heart, and Hunter Heart.

"I think he'd be proud," Cody says one night in the dim neon lights of 79's.

"And I think he'd karking hate beer," Crosshair says, scowling at his drink.

"Cross, you should try a margarita. Salt, lime, strong liquor; seems like your kind of drink."

"What do you think Heart would've liked?" Tech asks.

Cody thinks for a minute. "Strikes me as a Dirty Shirley man, honestly."

"Let's get five of those, then." Hunter taps a waitress on the shoulder as she passes.

"Make it six!" Wrecker declares.

"Oh, no. We are _not_ going to literally pour one out for him."

"Then I'll drink his. No big deal."

Tech snorts. "Laserbrain."

"Thought you said I don't have a brain."

"That was Crosshair," Hunter corrects. "Tech is the one who said your skull was so thick it's a wonder your brain _works_."

Cody laughs. "Brutal."

Tech raises his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I stole it from Heart."


End file.
